Target: Locked
by JaraelMoonsilver
Summary: All of you Adventures in Odyssey and 39 Clues fans, this one's for you! Think of it as an alternate Shatterproof. Rated T for some blood, suspense, and PURE RICHARD MAXWELL EKAT AWESOMENESS!
1. Chapter 1

**Yay! My first crossover! This part is kinda short; it's just the intro. I hope you like! Please R&R! BTW, this story is not my priority. My Okami one is. I just wanted to know what you guys think. For those of you who don't know, Richard Maxwell is a character from Odyssey who first appeared in Album 5: Daring Deeds and Sinister Schemes. He mysteriously disappeared in Darkness Before Dawn, where he was last seen in the hospital after he jumped out of a car (I know, you like him already). My ****theory? He's an Ekat! Anyways... here you go!**

John Avery Whitaker hurried after police inspector Daniel Jones. They were in Frisco, a small yet quickly growing city in Texas. _Whew,_ he thought as they turned a corner into an alley, _This place is like a maze! All these twist and turns is making me want to go back to Odyssey!_

They took a right turn, a left turn, another right, and found themselves facing a circular opening with at least six different ways to go.

"Well, which way now, Daniel?" Mr. Whitaker inquired.

Jones glanced down at the small screen of his cell phone, which was being used as a tracking device right then, and started walking towards the one that was front/right.

"The signal's getting stronger. He's not getting away this time. I'm gonna figure out what he's up to, then haul him back to Odyssey for questioning."

Whit sighed as he followed Jones, who was rapidly increasing his speed, "I sure hope we find him, too. But he's pretty good at deceiving people. He might have let you pick up his signal while he snuck away." _I wish I knew what you're up to. Why did you disappear? Where are you?_

"Ha! Not this time. This time, I'm not gonna let him out of my sight," Jones turned right, his eyes glued to the phone. He glanced up, and stopped so suddenly that Whit bumped into him.

"Dead end..."

"What in the world-"

There, a strange sight was set out in front of them. A lone young man, about 21, was lying on the ground; apparently dead. He was up against the wall, as if he was standing there and had slid down. There were places in the ground that looked like three other people had been lying on the ground, too. And four sets of footprints leading in, but none leading out. Four guns lay strewn about, as though they had been dropped.

Mr. Whitaker stepped forward, "Who is that?"

"Whit, don't touch. There might be a few recognizable footprints. You'll mess them up."

"But, who-" He went towards the young man, taking care not to step on any footprints, "It's- no. It- it couldn't be," Whit stepped around him, then crouched down to get a look at his face, "Richard!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Whit, come look at this!" Daniel knelt beside one of the guns, "It looks like this one was shot!" He looked around, "Judging by the position, it was shot out of his hand by someone in front of him. And here, there was another person right behind him. And one more standing near where we entered; cutting off his exit, it looks like," Jones went over beside Mr. Whitaker and examined the young man, who, Jones mentally confirmed, was indeed Richard Maxwell. "Hm. He's holding a cell phone," He put on a pair of rubber gloves, then picked up the phone and turned it on. "Well, look at that!"

Whit looked over Jones' shoulder, "What?"

"Nothing! Nothing on it what so ever. No contacts, no recent activity, not even any games. Everything's been erased! And what sort of person would erase Angry Birds?"

Whit sat back, bewildered, "Erased? Why would he, or someone, erase everything?"

Jones started examining Richard. "Huh. A bullet hole, right through his jacket. Wait," He examined him more closely, "Yeah, the bullet missed it's target, it looks like. Hit his collarbone. Probably broke it, too. But- wait! He's still alive?"

Whit looked over, and was suddenly very aware of Richard's chest rising and falling. It was very faint, but he could still see it. "We've got to get him to a hospital, fast!"

* * *

Richard woke up in a hospital bed, wondering where he was. He was still groggy, but he could hear two people sitting nearby, conversing in hushed tones.

"...find out what's going on. I need to talk to him."

"But he's in no condition to be interrogated. He needs rest, and being grilled with questions isn't going to make him heal any faster. If you want to know what happened, you can wait at least a couple more hours."

"Oh, fine! But you need to call me as soon as he can explain without passing out!" There was the sound of one of them standing up and walking out of the room.

"Is he gone yet?"

Someone chuckled, "Richard, how long have you been listening?"

He opened his eyes, and saw the familiar face of Mr. Whitaker. "Wha-? How'd I get here? What happened?"

"Well, Inspector Jones, who just left, was hoping you could tell him that. He's been waiting for you to wake up ever since you were brought in here. When we found you, you were unconscious in an alley. You apparently were shot."

Richard winced, "Oh...yeah. Vesp- What were you doing there, anyway?"

Mr. Whitaker leaned forward, "Well, I was following Jones. He had planted a tracking device on you and was following your trail. The signal led straight to an alley, and, like I said, that's where we found you. So, what were _you_ doing there?"

Richard started to say something, then stopped. He frowned, like he was trying to remember something. Then answered, "I was... meeting a, uh, friend."

"A friend that brought four guns? And I don't think a friend would try to kill you, even if you disagreed on something. What were you _really_ doing?"

"I-," Richard sighed, "I can't tell you. At least, not until I get clearance."

"What? Clearance? From whom? And, if you don't mind me asking, what are you talking about?"

There was a knock at the door. Richard called out, "Come in."

A woman with curly red hair and huge glasses poked her head in, then said to someone behind her, "Yeah, it's the right room." She was followed by a man with equally hideous glasses and a beard. The woman pulled off her hair, which was actually a wig, revealing long reddish-brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She removed her glasses as well, and so did the man behind her. He then pulled off his fake facial hair, and walked more to the center of the room. The woman, who looked much younger without her disguise, stood at the foot of Richard's bed and said, "Look, Maxwell. That was either the most bravest of the most _stupidest_ thing I've ever seen!"

Richard sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, nice to see you again, too, Amy. You know, considering I'm not dead. How can you stand living with her, Dan?"

The man (more like boy) grinned, "Well, being a trained Madrigal I'm kinda used to it. You know, torture?"

Richard started to laugh, then winced, "So, what are you guys doing here?"

The girl, Amy, walked around to the left side of the bed, "Why do you think, dummy? We came to see if you were alright. When we picked up the Vespers we thought- I- I thought- We were worried."

Richard stared in to space, his mind drifting away to a memory that was slowly coming back...

* * *

_"Ah. Calling for help? It won't do any good."_

_ "Sending coordinates-"_

_ "Put. The phone. Down."_

_ "No way."_

_ "Richard? Is that Cheyenne?"_

_ "Well, if it isn't Dan Cahill himself. Dan, hang up the phone and disregard everything you've heard or I'll blast Maxwell here so hard he'll stick to the wall."_

_ "Don't do it Dan! She's bluffing."_

_ "Really? Do I _look_ like I'm bluffing?"_

_ A gunshot. The sound of a tazer going off. Blinding pain... Dan's voice..."Richard? Richard!"_

_ "Mission...accomplished."_

_ "Richard!"_

* * *

"Richard? Have you heard a single word I've said?"

Richard shook off the memory, "What? Sorry. I was...sorry."

Amy sighed, "Richard. This is how you got into this in the first place. By not listening. To me, specifically."

"I was given clearance!"

"But not by me."

Dan cleared his throat, "Um, Amy? I was the one who gave him clearance."

"Dan! I told him he couldn't!"

"But it was a good plan! A little risky, but it worked!"

"Dan," Amy was trying to stop herself from either strangling him or breaking down in tears, "It worked, yes. But at what price? If Richard had- I don't think I could- We thought you were dead, you idiot!" Amy kicked Richard's bed to emphasize her point.

Richard started to sit up, "That was kinda the idea. If you guys had worried about me, You would've forgotten to tell the rest of the Cahills to monitor any suspicious activity, Vesper-related or otherwise."

"Wow, Amy. He's got you nailed."

Amy pushed Richard back down as he started to groan at the strain, "Shut up."

"Um," Mr. Whittaker interrupted, "I don't want to bother you, but what is going on here?!"

Richard glanced at Amy, then struggled to sit up again, "Oh, yeah. Mr. Whittaker, Amy and Dan Cahill. Amy and Dan, John Avery Whittaker. Um, please don't erase his memory or anything, Amy. He's one of my closest friends. He can be trusted."

"I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? I though this was an attempted murder/gunfight thingy, and now your talking like something happened the police don't know about!"

"Actually, that's exactly what happened."


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Whitaker raised his eyebrows, "Um, what?"

"It's a long story," Amy said as she edged closer to Richard's IV pole.

Richard nodded, not noticing her, "A _very_ long story."

"I've got time," Whit settled back into his seat.

Amy slowly brought something out of her pocket.

"Amy, what are you-? Stop! Don't you dare-" Richard reached out to grab Amy, but was too late. The needle pierced the IV tube. Richard stared at Amy, "Why-? I- I was..." He slumped over, unconscious.

Whit sat bolt upright, "What-?"

Amy walked over to him, then tried to calm him down, "Don't worry. I just wanted him quiet. He tends to ramble, and it gets _really_ irritating."

"But, what was-"

"It was just a sort of fast-acting anesthesia. He'll wake up in about an hour."

"But-"

"Now, about that story. Dan, I may need some backup."

Her younger brother came over, then sat down beside Whit, "Sure thing, Ames! Oh, wait. That's _Evan's_ nickname for you," He said _Evan_ in a high-pitched voice, "Sure thing, Amy-san."

A red flush covered her entire face, "Shut up," She turned back to Whit, "So, um... This family of ours. It goes back for nearly 500 years..."

* * *

When Amy finished explaining, with Dan cutting in every so often to add details, Whit nodded, "So, you guys are in the..."

"Madrigal branch."

He nodded again, "Okay. Then, what does Richard have to do with all of this?"

"He's an Ekat."

"Okay... And this other family, the Vespers..."

Amy looked over at Richard, "They kidnapped some of our family members. And we have to do whatever they say."

Dan interrupted, "Unless Richard's plan worked."

"Which I didn't want him to do in the first place."

Whit's confused look returned, "I believe you left out something. What _was _Richard's plan?"

"Well... I could tell you. If you promise not to knock me out again," Richard sat up, then winced. He carefully felt his right shoulder, "Yeah... it's broken."

Amy jumped, then looked sheepishly over at him, "Sorry. But, about the plan? You don't have to tell it. I can show him."

Now it was Richard's turn to look befuddled, "Show him...?"

She nodded, "Yep," Amy-san pulled a laptop/tablet out of her jacket. She turned it on, tapped on the screen a few times, then turned it around for him to see, "I got the whole thing, right here."

He looked at it for a few seconds, then said, incredulously, "You hid _cameras_ on me?"

Amy smirked, "You Ekats aren't the only brilliant ones in the family. And..." She tapped on it a couple more times, "I even got footage of you in Odyssey. You know, when you ran into Casper?"

Richard lay back down and rolled his eyes, "You can show him. Just... make sure this doesn't fall into the police's hands. It could mess up my entire scheme."

Amy nodded, then sat down between Whit and Dan. She positioned the display so they could all see it, "Okay, here we go."


	4. Chapter 4

_Ding-a-ling!_

Mr. Whitaker turned around to see who had entered. Wiping his hands on a nearby towel, he set the milkshake he had been making on the counter. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

The stranger was wearing a black leather jacket, unzipped, over a white t-shirt and black jeans. Dark sunglasses were over his eyes, but he pushed them up onto his head as he responded, revealing bright green eyes that had a mischievous glint in them. "Oh, I think we have."

"Richard!" Whit came out from behind the counter. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since that incident with Blackgaard and Applesauce!"

"Oh, yeah… that." Richard absent-mindedly massaged his throat as he muttered to himself, "Climbing claws to the face… Ouch. Anyways… has it really been that long?"

"Yes! What happened to you? You seem to have a habit of disappearing from hospitals."

"Well, um… I came here to tell you something. I thought a lot about what you said, and…" He cleared his throat, "I- Well, I-"

"Here, let's go up to my office. Connie!" Whit called over his shoulder. "Watch the counter for a minute, please."

* * *

Whit sat down, then gestured for Richard to do the same. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about? Please tell me you aren't involved with some sort of crime again."

Richard shook his head, "No. At least, not yet."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?"

He started muttering again, "If the Vs don't give up the guys soon, I'm gonna have to be…" He looked up at Mr. Whitaker. "Sorry. I was just going to say I- Well… I- I would really appreciate it if you…" Richard looked back down at the floor. "If you would… pray for me."

Whit sat back, stunned. Richard had never been interested in religion before. In fact, the last time he had mentioned it, Richard had called it, "That Christian thing". _No, not the last time. The last time was when he was being held in the sheriff's office, right before he was let go. And then, I think I may have mentioned it after the trial. _But that still didn't make any sense. He would never ask something like this unless he was in big trouble. _Or, unless…_

"Any particular reason for this request?"

"Sheesh, does a new Christian _have_ to have a reason for being prayed over?"

_New… Christian?_ "You-"

"-are a little upset that you are questioning my request? A little, yes."

Mr. Whitaker shook his head. "No, about what you said… You're… a Christian?"

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Are you really that surprised?"

"Well, I mean, you never really paid any attention when I tried to talk to you about it."

"Evidently, I did."

Richard jumped, then reached for his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone. "Oh, yikes. I didn't realize I was running this late." He stood up, "Thanks for the talk, Mr. Whitaker. I'll see ya around. Maybe." As he turned to leave, he called over his shoulder, "Say hi to Connie for me, will ya?"

"But, Richard, wait-" But he was too late. Richard had already walked out.

* * *

Richard stepped out of his car. He breathed in the smell of… rotten eggs? _No, that's impossible. And, it's the wrong story._ He shook his head. He didn't have time for distractions. He had come here for one reason. One reason only.

"Hey, Richard!"

He turned. There they were. Right on time.

"We were beginning to think you'd ditch us!"

He smiled at the two young tweens that were walking towards him. "Hey, Olivia. Matthew. I couldn't leave two helpless kids to fend for themselves, now could I? Besides, your parents would kill me."

Olivia Parker rolled her eyes. "Oh, they just wanted to make sure that we weren't kidnapped or anything."

He brother, Matthew, nodded. "They've been kinda jumpy ever since that counterfeiting ring. You know how parents are."

Richard laughed. "Yeah. So, what've you guys been up to?" Then, he noticed something behind them. _Oh, great. Not him again. Not now!_ "On second thought, we can talk on the way. Get in the car."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing. I just want to make sure I get you guys home on time, that's all."

"But, our house is less than a half of a mile away."

"Exactly."

"But-"

"No questions! Get in the car!"

"Alright, alright." Matthew and his sister climbed into the backseat.

"And whatever happens, _stay down_." Richard turned towards a man; a man he knew all too well.

"Well, well. Casper Wyoming. Fancy seeing you here."

"Richard Maxwell. It's been awhile."

"You know, it's amazing how many people I met in the Detention Center show up afterwards."

Casper raised an eyebrow. "How many have there been?"

"You mean, besides you and your sister? One." Richard noticed Casper's skeptical look. "But, I mean, really, you don't expect to ever see them again. It's just crazy coincidence. And now I see you, like, what, every two weeks? Or is it more like every other day? Sheesh. Being a Cahill has completely messed up my memory. Of course, you Vespers trying to kill all of us isn't helping."

Casper brought his hand to his pocket. "I think you know why I'm here."

Richard nodded excitedly. "Is it because you knew my birthday was this week? Did you bring me a gift? Is it a puppy?"

"No."

"Is it a bicycle? You know, after I got arrested, I sort of lost track of my old one."

"No! Good Guernsey, you're annoying. But I did come here because of you."

Richard's expression changed. "Yeah, I kinda figured that. By the way, when did you start fake cussing with cows?"

Casper's face became confused. "What?"

"Guernsey. It's a type of dairy cow."

"GAAAAAHHH!"

"Yeah… I think you really need to loosen up. Here, let me help you." Richard brought his right fist into contact with Casper's jaw with a huge uppercut. As Casper staggered back, Richard jumped into the car.

"Guys, stay down."

"But- who was that Casper guy?"

"Not important. What _is_ important, is that if you want to get home in one piece, you'll stay down." Suddenly, a gunshot rang out; as if to agree with him. The back windshield cracked, and Olivia let out a scream as the bullet pierced the driver's seat.

"It's okay." Richard told her, trying to calm her down. "The bullet probably got stopped by the padding in the seat's back. I'm fine." The car whizzed down the street until a loud siren sounded.

Richard rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. I get away from an armed gunman, only to be stopped for speeding. Wonderful." He rolled down the window as the officer stepped out of his car. "Hiya, officer. Lovely day."

"Yeah… So why are you speeding through town like a runaway missile?"

Olivia called from the back, "We're trying to get away from this guy!"

Matthew began talking, too. "He had a gun!"

The officer raised his eyebrows at Richard. "A guy carrying a gun?"

Richard grinned. "Yeah. I'm taking these kids home. They have quite the imaginations."

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the vehicle."

Richard nodded. "Of course." Richard opened the door, then pulled his jacket off. It was feeling a little too hot for him right then. Then, he stood up and stepped out onto the street.

Olivia and Matthew both gasped.

"Now, officer, I have a perfectly good explanation for this."

"And I'm waiting to hear it."

Richard cringed. He staggered, then fell facedown onto the ground.

The officer stepped back, staring at Richard's shirt. There was a bullethole, right between his shoulder blades. A dark red stain was clearly visible on his white shirt. The officer ran back to his car, then dialed 911.


	5. Chapter 5

Richard woke up in the hospital.

"I suppose you want me to get used to this."

Richard tried to sit up. "Used to what?"

Mr. Whitaker was sitting in a chair next to him. "Seeing you in the hospital. It seems that you can't just settle for minor injuries; it's gotta make sure you end up in the ICU."

"Well, maybe this'll cheer you up. It doesn't hurt."

"It doesn't?"

Richard tried to grin, but it turned into a grimace. "Yeah… I'm a liar."

Whit chuckled. "Well, it's good to know you're back to your normal, 'I'm going to turn everything I say into a joke, even if I'm about to be killed' self."

Richard laughed. "Yeah. I think Blackgaard said something like that, too."

"So… care to explain why some guy named Casper shot you?"

Confusion crossed Richard's face. "Who?"

"That's why you're here, isn't it? Because you were shot?"

"Well, yeah… but… you see, I was carrying a gun in my car's trunk. It must've gone off while I was driving Olivia and Matthew home."

"Why were you carrying a gun?"

Richard tried to shrug the question off. "You can never be too careful."

"While you were driving a couple kids home?"

"Well, I didn't really have a chance to take it out before I met up with them."

"But then, why-"

Whit was cut off as a nurse came in. "I'm sorry, Mr. Whitaker, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Richard needs his rest."

Whit nodded as he stood up. "Alright." He looked over at Richard. "But I'll be back."

Richard winked. "I'll see ya later."

* * *

As soon as Whit and the nurse left, Richard opened his eyes and climbed out of bed. He stood up and, grabbing the IV pole for support, walked into the bathroom. He closed and locked the door. Ah, there it was. Just like they said. Sitting on a chair beside the shower was a clean set of street clothes, a Band-Aid, and a small, MP3-looking black device. There was even a pair of tennis shoes.

Richard smiled to himself as he slowly peeled the tape away from his left hand where the IV was. He hesitated for only a second, then pulled the needle out. As soon as blood began spurting through the pinprick, he stuck the Band-Aid on, then proceeded to get dressed. As soon as he was ready, he pulled a pen and a scrap of paper out of his pocket and scribbled a note to Mr. Whitaker; setting it in the sink as he unlocked the door.. Then, grabbing the MP3 thingy, he opened the window. Richard looked down, then up. _Great. 3__rd__ floor. I guess up it is._ He reached out, then pushed a button on the black device. Wouldn't you know it, it was really an ingenious Ekaterina grappling hook. It shot up and grabbed the roof. Richard looked back one last time. Then, he began to climb.

* * *

True to his word, Mr. Whitaker returned later that day.

"Richard?" He called as he entered the room. Something wasn't right. His bed was empty. The bathroom light was on. He walked towards the door. One push, and it opened. "Richard?" There was a note in the sink.

_Mr. Whitaker,  
Sorry I had to disappear on you, but it was necessary.  
See you around… maybe.  
-Richard  
P.S.  
Please don't send the cops after me. It's kinda vital to 7 close friends.  
P.P.S.  
You know how I asked you to pray for me? Now would be a good time.  
Thanks._

The window was open; a breeze blowing through the small room.

He was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Amy Cahill walked towards the door. "Who is it?"

"It's-a me, Mario! The pizza delivery guy! Thank-a you for ordering a-Luigi's!"

She frowned. "I didn't order any pizza." She opened the door.

"Ha! Amy, you fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

"Richard?"

"Well, yeah!" Richard stepped into the hotel room. "Where did you think I was gonna go? New Jersey?"

Amy turned around. "Dan!"

"What?" Came a voice from the other room.

"Get in here!"

"Okay!" Dan rushed in carrying a lightsaber and wearing a ninja hood, Pokemon PJ pants, and bunny slippers. "What is it, Amy-san-" He stopped, abruptly. "Hey! You didn't tell me we had company!"

Richard regarded Dan's attire as if he was used to them. He grinned. "Dan! Whassup, dude?"

Dan grinned back. "Richard! Haven't seen you in a while. Let me guess… you just snuck out of the hospital again."

"Yep. How'd you know?"

"You smell like blood and antiseptic." They both laughed hysterically.

Amy rolled her eyes. _Boys._ She knew that with Dan and Richard's senses of humor combined, they could crack jokes and make bad puns until the end of time and they would still have more material. And, it was twice as annoying. "So… why are you here?"

Richard's expression turned serious. "I came to talk about our little hostage problem."

The room's mood temperature dropped from, "Easy going and lighthearted" to "Uh oh, we have to talk about something serious now". Amy gestured towards the couch in the other room. "Let's talk about it in here."

As soon as they were all seated, Amy nodded for Richard to explain. "So far, our situation is that they have Cahills, and we have to do everything they tell us to, right?"

Amy nodded. "Right."

"So, if we find out where the hostages are being held and rescue them, then they have no leverage, right?"

"Right, but we _don't_ know where they are. And with Ian missing, I don't know who else I can ask to find out. Well, except for Evan. And Sinead."

Richard shook his head. "No, see, I have an idea that will take care of both of those problems."

Dan sat forward. "What is it?"

"Okay, so, say we got someone to drop hints to the Vespers that we _already know_ where they are being held. Then, when they freak out and move the hostages, we can monitor them and then we'll know where they are. Then we can go in and rescue them."

Amy looked at him skeptically. "But who would we send to do this? Erasmus would be perfect, except he's babysitting Jonah and Hamilton."

Dan sighed. "Fiske or Nellie could do it… if they weren't hostages."

"Ian is the kind of smooth-talker that would do this with flying colors… but he's missing."

"Sinead is too busy at the Command Center."

"I don't want to put Evan in danger."

"Jake and Atticus…"

Amy shook her head. "Not them, either."

Dan slumped in his seat. "So, basically, we've got no one."

Richard waved his hand in front of Dan's face. "Hello? Am I invisible, or what? It was my idea. Besides, the Vespers are already following me. It would be easy."

Amy shook her head. "No. It's too dangerous. Besides, knowing you, you'd probably end up dead or mostly dead."

"But, Amy-"

She stood up. "No. End of discussion." She walked into the connecting room and closed the door.

Richard sighed. "I can't believe this. I'm just so tired of the Vespers pushing us around. It's not fair, what with the other option."

Dan sat down next to him. "Well, she may have said no, but she's only half of the Cahill decision team. All you have to do is ask the other half."

Richard looked at him, the meaning of his words suddenly dawning on him. He tried to keep a straight face. "Pikachu, may I put this crazy plan into action- even though, chances are, I won't come back?"

Dan nodded, cracking a smile. "Yes, you may. Just don't come back smelling like you do right now. Amy won't even let you in next time."

Richard grinned. "I can't believe she referenced The Princess Bride."

"Yeah. Sometimes, she's kinda cool. You know, for a geeky sister."


	7. Chapter 7

Richard Maxwell chased Luna Amato through the alleyways of Frisco. It was fairly easy discovering the Vesper that was on his trail. Now all he had to do was drive her into the dead end he had checked out earlier. There, he could put his plan into action.

There. He walked a few steps inside, so he was kind of still blocking the exit. She whirled around, trying to find a way out. "Looks like I've got you."

"Correction: We've got you," Said a voice from behind him.

Richard began to turn, but the cold barrel of a gun pressed up under his chin. "Don't try anything stupid, Maxwell."

He glanced back, catching a glimpse of Cheyenne Wyoming blocking the exit. _Now, the question is, does this make everything harder, or easier? _ He grinned. "I'm thinking I should be flattered. Two of the Vesper Council after me. That doesn't happen every day. Luna Amato and Cheyenne Wyoming." He half-turned his head. "Oh, yeah. How're you doing, Casper?"

Casper scowled. "Shut up."

"So… I guess you're still a little sore about getting kicked off the Council?"

Casper's grip tightened on the gun. "One more word, Maxwell, and I swear I'll-"

"Don't." Luna shook her head. "We need him alive."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Need me? Now I'm really flattered."

Luna smiled slightly. "You have information that we need. Cooperate, and we'll set you free."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then we'll shoot a hole through your skull and paint the walls with your innards."

Richard shook his head. "Sorry, Casper, but I was asking Ms. Amato."

"I was going to say roughly the same thing."

"Oh. Well, in that case," He shrugged. "I guess you'll have to do that. I'm no traitor."

"I'm sorry, what?" Casper inclined his head to the side.

"I said go ahead and paint the walls with my innards. I'm not telling you anything."

Casper smiled. "With pleasure."

He cocked the gun. Richard glanced back at him. "It's loaded? Huh. I didn't think you were smart enough to think ahead."

"Those're you're last words, punk."

"Stop this foolishness!" Luna slapped Casper's hand that held the gun, then turned to Richard. "You _will_ tell us, or else one of your precious hostages will suffer."

Richard bit back a smile. _This is it._ He chuckled. "You won't have that leverage for very long."

"What do you mean?"

He clamped his hand over his mouth. "Uh, nothing." _Bait dropped. Now, will she take it?_

Vesper 5 smiled. "Not a traitor, eh?" She leaned in closer. "What do you know about where the hostages are?"

"Nothing!" He answered with what he hoped was a suspiciously quick response. "I don't know anything about the underground place where your headquarters are!"

Luna stepped back. _Lucky guesses for the win!_ "What do you know? Are you Cahills planning something?"

Richard shook his head. "No! No sabotaging, no rescue plans, no nothing!" _All too easy._

She examined his face. "When are you planning on rescuing the hostages?"

Richard closed his mouth, shaking his head defiantly.

Luna turned away. "Ah, well. At least this trip wasn't a complete waste of time. We're through here, Richard." She nodded to Casper. "Now, you can go ahead."

Richard could hear her whispering into a phone as she turned around. "Wait!" He yelled. Luna turned around, putting the phone back into her pocket. Richard pulled a gun out of his own pocket. He held it up against Casper's head. "I don't think you want to do that."

Quick as lightning, Luna took her gun out and fired. Richard's gun fell to the ground as he yelped. "Hey, what's up with you? You could have killed me!"

She smiled at Casper. "You may continue."

Richard took what might be his last chance. He lunged, then kicked the ex-Interpol agent back. There was a horrible sounding _crack_ as her head hit the wall. Then, he turned on Casper. He head-butted him in the stomach, sending him flying towards his sister. Wyomings: Down. Richard whipped out his cell phone.

"Dan?"

_"Richard! What's going on?"_

"I need you to come and pick up a few friends of mine. V-5, V-6, and C.W."

"Ah. Calling for help? It won't do any good." Cheyenne stepped in front of him.

"Sending coordinates-"

"Put. The phone. Down."

"No way."_  
_

_"Richard? Is that Cheyenne?"  
_

"Well, if it isn't Dan Cahill himself. Dan, hang up the phone and disregard everything you've heard or I'll blast Maxwell here so hard he'll stick to the wall." Evidently, they had all brought guns. She placed the barrel against his chest.

"Don't do it, Dan! She's bluffing." Richard's heart raced. He had to think of something. _Aha! Got it!__  
_

"Really? Do I look like I'm bluffing?"_  
_

Richard slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his tazer. _Ah, I remember the days when I called this baby an "Electrical Stunner". I wonder how Lucy's doing? I heard she got married to that guy, Jack- Focus, dude!_ He flicked it on and jabbed it at Cheyenne. Her arm jerked to the right, but he couldn't stop her automatic reflexes. The gun fired.

_"Richard? Richard!"  
_

Richard had just enough energy to push _delete_ on his phone. "Mission…accomplished."_  
_

_"Richard!"_

His arm dropped. The phone hit the ground.

And Richard's world went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Mr. Whitaker looked horrified, staring at the screen. The image showed Richard, unconscious, lying/sitting up against a wall for an unlimited amount of time. The scene shifted, and a helicopter arrived; a girl being lowered on the ladder and pulling the Vespers up with her. Then, being careful to step in the Vespers' footprints, she and a boy walked over to Richard. The girl took one look and started crying. The boy, on the other hand, carefully picked up the tazer and a few other things that would make the police suspicious. Then, tugging at the girl's shirt, he began to climb up the ladder. The girl stared for a minute, then, still sobbing, climbed up after him.

Amy closed the tablet/laptop. "That's it," She said. "That's all there is."

Dan, trying to lighten the mood, winked at Richard. "Not quite the ending you hoped for, huh?"

Richard grinned back. "Ah, they played right into my hands."

"So, the getting shot was part of your plan, too?"

"Yep. I just didn't expect her to miss."

Whit raised his eyebrow. "You didn't? So, you thought you were going to…"

Richard nodded. "Yeah. But, you know, what was that one thing Paul said? 'To live is Christ, to die is gain?' That's what was going through my head as she pulled the trigger."

"But, you survived."

"Yep!" He smiled. "Another miracle to save this sorry excuse for a Christian. I think that brings the count up to…7? Maybe only 6."

Whit closed his eyes and smiled as he shook his head. "I don't see how you can be so…"

"…Reckless? Stupid? Idiotic? Frivolous?"

Amy smiled. "How about Complete and Total Disregard of Self?"

"Or Inconthevible!" Dan joined in.

Richard grinned. He tried a Spanish accent. "You keep using that word. I do not a-think it means what you think it means."

Mr. Whitaker laughed. "I was thinking more along the lines of _All of the Above_."

Everyone laughed, except Richard, who was trying to look insulted. "Well, I never!"

_Knock-knock-knock._

Two men walked in. One was taller and thinner, and the other was shortish and kinda pudgy. "I hate to interrupt your conversation, but it's past visiting hours, and we need to move Mr. Maxwell here to another room." Said the taller one. The shorter one just nodded.

Richard looked over at them. "Why would you need to move me? I've got satellite TV, an adjustable bed, one of those tiny fridges," He looked over at the corner. "Oh. Forget what I said about the tiny fridge. Why would I want to leave?"

"Sir, all one the rooms here are like this." The tall one answered.

Richard nodded, like he was expecting this. "Okay." He turned to Amy, Dan, and Whit. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you."

Amy began to protest. Something wasn't right. But the two men had already began to wheel Richard's bed out of the room.

* * *

The two man pushed the bed out of the emergency exit, which was what tipped Richard off that these guys were a little suspicious. They wheeled it into the back of a waiting truck, then climbed in after and shut the door. The short one's arm zipped towards him faster than Richard thought possible. Making a y-shape in between is thumb and fingers, he pressed up against Richard's windpipe.

He gasped for air, but there wasn't any. He tried to pull his attacker's hand away, but he couldn't do much without oxygen. His right shoulder screamed in pain every time he moved it. _What a fine time to have a fractured collarbone. By the time this is over, I think it'll be more than just fractured, though._

A thought flashed through his mind. Shifting his fingers just the tiniest bit would result in cutting off the blood flow to Richard's brain, making him unconscious within a minute. If he stayed in that position, Richard would be dead within 10-15 minutes. _Darn it! Why on earth did I research that article on asphyxiation?_ He tried to calm down. _If they wanted you dead, they could have killed you already. They must be planning something._

Sure enough, the tall one leaned over him. "If you ever want to breathe again, you'll tell us what you know about the hostages."

Richard shook his head. His vision was starting to darken around the edges.

The shorter one pressed harder. "Tell us!"

"Forget it. He's too stubborn. Just like Five said. Don't worry, though. Vesper One'll be able to make him talk."

The shorter one eased up on the pressure. Richard gasped. He had never been so grateful for being able to breathe. He'd never take it for granted again. Just then, a cloth came down on his face. _No!_ Richard tried to hold his breath, but the sharp scent of chloroform penetrated his defenses. The world went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

_Ow. Where am I? And why does my arm hurt so much?_

Richard opened one of his eyes a crack. Concrete floor. Concrete walls. Cameras in the upper corners of the room. People moving around, talking in hushed tones.

_Great. Now I'm part of the "hostage situation"._

He began to sit up. Someone called out, "Hey, I think he's awake!"

Richard winced as he felt his right shoulder. Broken. Definitely. He looked around the room at the others. "So... Where'd they grab _you_ from?"

"Nellie? And... Fiske, Phoenix, Regan, Ted, Natalie, and Alistair? You're all okay?"

Nellie rolled her eyes. "Are you that surprised? Actually, with what's been going on, that's not a bad question. So, who are you?"

Fiske answered for her. "Richard? Richard Maxwell?"

"The one and only," Richard replied, almost automatically. "How've you been, Fiske?"

"Well-"

"_I'll_ tell you how we have been doing. We have been stuck in this room for weeks, maybe months, in the same ugly orange outfit, eating nothing but a potato a day and a bit of grungy water! And my manicure!" Natalie continued, "It hasn't been this bad since the Clue Hunt. And even then, I could stop at any place and get my nails done. And look at my hair! It's all greasy and smelly and-"

"We get it, Nat." Nellie lent her good arm to Richard, who pulled himself into a kneeling position.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now, you never answered my first question."

"What was- Oh, right." Richard sighed. "They nabbed me right out of my hospital bed."

"They _what?_"

Richard grinned at Regan's reaction. "Yep. Now, you're probably wondering how I got there. Well, it was because of this." He pulled down the collar of his jumpsuit so she could see.

"Whoa."

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

Richard shifted so he was sitting with his legs crossed. "Do you really want to know? I have to warn you, those who are faint of heart shouldn't listen."

"Yeah, I want to know!" As soon as he mentioned _the faint of heart_, Regan was taken.

His grin grew wider. "There I was, trapped between three Vespers. One was blocking the exit. One was in front of me, and the other had a gun under my chin. I punched one in the face, shattered the skull of another, but one was still up, and wanted revenge for knocking out her brother. She had me backed up against a wall. Here, show me a finger gun." Regan complied. He took her hand a placed her fingers against his chest. "Her gun was right there. No way out."

"Whoa. How'd you get out?"

"Easy. Tazer. To. The. Face! Actually, I don't remember where I tazered her. But, her arm jerked to the side, and, pow! That's how it happened."

Regan's smile faded as the door banged open. Two Vespers marched inside. They each grabbed one of Richard's arms, and lifted him off the ground. "I've only been awake for a minute, and they have a welcoming party all ready for me! I guess I should be flattered. But... I'm not."

Nellie watched helplessly as the dragged him out of the room. She turned to Fiske. "Is he _always_ like that?"

He nodded. "Sometimes he's even worse. See, his archnemisis once accused him of always joking. So, he took that as a challenge. It gets pretty annoying, though."

* * *

_Great. Just great. I've been strung up by my wrists in a tiny room with one door and no windows. Oh, look. Guess what? Here comes another Vesper._ Richard had went along with the Vespers handcuffing him. He hadn't complained when they attached the handcuffs to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Now, his arm felt like it was on fire, and he could barely stand without going on tiptoes.

But another Vesper? That was going too far.

This one had a ski mask on, no surprise. He/she wanted to make sure he didn't recognize him/her. The voice that came through the mask was distorted and metallic. (I'm just going to call him/her "it" for easiness' sake) It dismissed the other two Vespers. Richard tried to grin, but it turned into a grimace. "Vesper One, I presume?"

Vesper 1 nodded. It walked around Richard, circling him. "You are here because you have information that we need."

Richard mouthed its next words along with it, mockingly. "'Cooperate, and this will be a lot less painful.' Yeah, yeah. This is totally cliche. Besides, what makes you think I _will_ cooperate?"

Vesper One pulled a control panel from the wall in front of itself. "Because, if you don't, I will do this." One pushed a button.

Electricity coursed through Richard's body. After a few seconds, it stopped. "Ooooh. That was pretty smart, using the chains as conductors of electricity. And, now you have a good reason for me to tell you everything. Unfortunately, _I_ don't."

Vesper 1 pushed another button. This time, a whip lashed out from behind him. He held back a cry of pain, then looked up at One. "Is that all you got?"

"On the contrary." One pulled out a knife from its belt.

"Oh, come on. Now whenever I walk up to someone, they're gonna think I'm emo, or something! Cut it out! Ha! _Cut_ it out. That's pretty funny, right th- ow!"

* * *

This went on for hours; Vesper One doing something terrible, and Richard responding with a joke, or just flat-out, "No!" Finally, One got fed up. "You tell me or I'll bring out the big guns," It said in its most ferocious tone.

Richard, bleeding all over, straightened. Vesper One thought it had finally broken him, until he began saying between gritted teeth, "I am **A**dvanced **R**econ **C**ommando A-17, Republic Army, under the command of General Obi-Wan Kenobi. That is all I am authorized to reveal."

Vesper One rolled its eyes. Great. A nerd who had a lot of determination. It reached into a slot in the door, and pulled out a little syringe. The liquid inside seemed to be glowing. One held it up for Richard to see. "This is a special poison I came up with myself. When injected into the bloodstream, it will slowly begin eating away at the vein and artery walls. Within three days, the victim will have died of internal bleeding, or, if the person moves around a lot, will enter into the vital organs, mainly the heart and lungs, and they will stop functioning."

Richard groaned as he lifted his head. "Why do I get the feeling that when you say, 'victim' you mean me?"

"Because you are very perceptive." Vesper One jabbed the needle into Richard's right forearm. Instantly, his arm felt like fire was spreading though it. Vesper One opened the door a crack, then gestured for the other Vespers to come back in. They unbound his wrists, then began to drag him out. "You will go back to your little Cahill buddies, for now. In exactly 24 hours, you will come back here. Then, we will see how stubborn you are."

Vesper One let out a laugh that sounded much less than human, and it wasn't just because of the voice distorter.

* * *

**By the way, that Star Wars quote that Richard used is from _Star Wars, The Clone Wars Volume 5, The Best Blades_. Just in case you wanted to know.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Finally, finally, FINALLY I have finished this chapter! Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I was grounded, then stuff happened, blah blah blah... - Legitimate Excuse. So, yeah. Here you go!**

* * *

The two Vesper lackeys shoved the incapacitated Ekat into the room. Richard stumbled, and his legs crumpled beneath him. He would have landed on his face if Nellie and Fiske hadn't caught him. As the door slammed shut, they gently lowered Richard onto his back. Nellie knelt next to him. "Richard, are you okay?" His only response was a groan. "Richard? Richard, say something if you can hear me."

He winced. "I feel terrible."

Fiske smiled. "Well, if he's well enough to quote, I'd say he's pretty much okay. Except for…" He trailed off.

Regan leaned over to get a better look. "Hey, Richard, when'd you go emo?"

Richard rolled his eyes. "I told Vesper One you'd ask me that, but he listen? Nooooo."

Nellie shooed everyone else away. "Back off, you guys. He needs to rest." As they did, Nellie asked, "What did they do to you?"

"Oh, nothin' much. They were like, 'Tell us what you know,' and was like, 'No way, Jose.' Then, they were all, Pow! Wham! Kerblooie! and I ended up back here."

"Wow." Nellie's expression changed to concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Richard tried to grin. "I never said I was."

Nellie rolled her eyes. "Not this again. Can't you ever take anything seriously?"

His face fell. "You have no idea."

* * *

In the next few hours, Richard somehow convinced Regan to let him work out with her. She didn't think it was a good idea, but he insisted.

After two hours of push-ups, sit-ups, and other things, Richard collapsed into a corner.

"Are you okay?"

Richard waved Regan away. "I'm fine. I just need to rest." She shrugged, then walked off.

_See what you think of _that_, Vesper One. I'll never tell you anything._

_Attention hog._

"Huh?" Richard looked around.

"What?" Nellie asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing." _Attention hog and oblivious._

"What? Who said that?"_ Do you really have to ask?_

_Okay, voice in my head, what do you want? What are talking about?_

_You. You never really believed in Christ. You just thought it would get Mr. Whitaker off your case._

_Says who?_

_Says me._

_Well, it doesn't really matter now, does it? I mean, I don't really have time to think about this._

_And why not?_

_Well, for one, I'm about to die._

_All the more reason._

_Okay, okay. You've got a point. But, why now?_

_You don't have any idea, do you? You want to know why you keep miraculously getting out of these things? Because God wants to give you all the chances he can._

_But-_

_No buts. This is it. Your last chance. What are you going to choose?_

The pain was unbearable now. His head was throbbing, his whole body was on fire. _Fine,_ he thought. _You win. I give up._ Richard closed his eyes. _God, be merciful to me, a sinner._

_You have chosen…wisely._

Suddenly, Richard couldn't breathe. He gasped. It was happening. This was the end. He fell to the floor, then blacked out.

Nellie had seen the whole thing happen. She walked over to Richard's limp form. "Richard? Dude, this isn't funny." She knelt beside him, and put her fingers to his neck. No pulse. "No!"

As she yelled, a group of Vespers ran in and surrounded Richard. Nellie clawed at them, trying to pull them away. "You killed him! How could you?"

Just as quickly as they had entered, they left, taking Richard with them.

* * *

_Wha-? I- I thought…_ "So, you couldn't wait 24 hours, could ya?" Richard was back in the interrogation room. But this time, he was strapped to a table, him wrists and ankles attached by ropes.

Vesper One snarled at him. "Don't pull something like that again, Maxwell."

"What? Afraid I was gonna die?" He grinned. "I have one question, though."

"And what's that?"

"Why _am_ I still alive?"

Vesper One held up an empty syringe. "One of my men administered this antidote just in time."

"Oooh… I see… Not. Why? Wait- don't tell me, let me guess. You still want information, and you didn't want me gone. Well, what would you say if I told you this was all a part of my plan?"

"I'd say you're bluffing."

"And I'd say: …Yup." Richard twisted his wrists. "Wow. You guys sure know how to tie a good, solid knot. Well, now what?"

"We return to what we were doing earlier."

"Oh. Well, ya see, I don't think I'll be able to stand much more of that."

Vesper One chuckled. "That's the idea."

"No, you don't get it. What I mean is, I'm never going to tell you anything. You can't do a thing to me that would make me tell. Besides, if you keep this up, you'll just have a dead Cahill to worry about."

Vesper One pointed to a corner of the room. "Do you see that monitor?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Although, whatever you want to show me is obstructed by that video feed from the room where the hostages are."

"That _is_ what I wanted to show you."

"Oh. You know, they don't look so good. Maybe if you fed them a bit more…"

"Shut up!" Vesper One took a deep breath. "Let's play a game."

"Ooo! I love games!"

"Here's how it works: I ask you a question. If you don't answer, then the Cahill of your choice… wait, here's the best part… Dies! Isn't that just lovely?" Vesper One was about to call in the guards again. "I'll just send you back in there for, oh, ten minutes. Then, one of them dies."

_Oh, boy. You can't bluff your way out of this one. Let's see..._ "This is not really the best system."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of this. You throw me into that room, pull me back out a minute later, drag me all the way into here, play around a few hours, send me back, go get me, drag me into here _again_, say a whopping _two sentences_ to me, then send me back, then go and kill someone. I mean, talk about bad time management."

Vesper One was getting _very_ irritated. "What would you suggest," It grinded out through gritted teeth.

Richard smiled. Hooked. "Well, for one, you could let the hostages go."

"Not going to happen."

"That's what I thought. Or, you could make peace with the Cahills and stop trying to kill them." Richard pulled, trying to get his right arm out. He broke the skin, and it stung. _At least it'll be slipperier now._ Vesper One didn't notice.

"Never."

"Then, I guess that leaves only one choice."

Vesper One nodded. "Yes, it does."

"No, not _that_ choice. Seeing as I'd rather _die_ than tell you…" He shrugged. "You could just kill me. Get it over with. You know you want to. I'm just too dang annoying. Or…" He pulled his arm free. "I could do _this!_" Richard swung his arm around and aimed for Vesper One's face. It ducked, then yelled for the guards.

"I swear you'll regret this, Maxwell."

"What're you gonna do, kill me? We've been over this."

Vesper One smiled, although Richard couldn't see. It wiped off blood that Richard had slung on to its shirt. "No. One of your precious Cahill buddies will."

Richard's expression changed as the realization of what he had done hit him. "No!"

"Yes. Oh, yes." That laugh again. It sent shivers down Richard's back. Then, he was dragged out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Richard Maxwell sat defiantly against the wall, thinking. Not good. Definitely not good.

He racked his brain, trying to think of some way to get the hostages out.

_There's only one way_. He set his jaw. _Only one person is going to die today._

_Me._

* * *

He explained his plan to the others, who all nodded.

Except Regan. She shook her head. "I don't think so. You can barely stand up, you're so weak."

It was true. He had lost so much blood over the last few days that was was rocking back an forth on his feet. Nellie and Fiske were pretty much holding him up. He nodded. "Alright. We'll do it your way." _Please, God, let them get out safely._

It was the first time he had actually prayed. It was the first of many, as it would turn out.

* * *

Ten excruciating minutes later, two Vespers opened the door. They were holding guns, and looked very intimidating. Fortunately, Regan had been working out and could kick those guy's butts easily. After she had taken them down, she nodded to Richard, who went through the door first. He saw the coast was clear, and gestured for the others to follow.

They made their way out into a long hallway. It seemed to take forever, but they finally found a staircase that led into open air. Richard ran up first, then, seeing that no one was there, came down and told the others to go on up.

The sounds of yelling and the pounding of feet made it clear to Richard that they had been discovered. He turned to the only hostage left, Nellie, and told her to go."I'll hold them off long enough for you guys to get away."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to let you do that."

Richard was relentless. "Go! This is your only chance." His breathing was ragged. He winced. "You know I won't last long. I might as well make it count."

Nellie gabbed him with her good arm and pulled him close.

Then, she pressed her lips against his.

Richard was shocked for moment, but calmed down and closed his eyes as he reached up and held the back of her head.

Something was nagging him, telling him to watch out. He opened his slightly, and saw Vespers, a crapload of Vespers, running towards them. He also saw they were armed.

He pushed Nellie to the side just as a shot rang out.

She looked at him, not noticing the others. "What was that for?"

He shrugged. "I... Dislike long kisses?" The Vespers were closing in now. "Go!" He pushed her up the stairs before she could protest.

Then, he raised his fists. "Come on, you lousy wimps! I can take you all on! I ain't goin down without a fight, so come on! Rush me, all of ya!"

Nellie looked back, only to see Richard be engulfed in the swarm of Vespers.

* * *

Richard woke up in the dark, not knowing where he was.  
_Ah! My head! Oooh... What's wrong with me?_

He breathed in deeply. _I may not be an expert, but I'm fairly certain that Heaven does not smell like a cardboard box._

He felt around with his left arm, having to stop a few inches from his face.

Yep. He was in a box.

He tried to remember what happened before he was stuffed into there. It slowly started coming back to him...

* * *

_He had been_ _beaten and dragged to the interrogation room. There was not need for restraints this time._

_They were going to kill him._

_He was so weak, he just stared up at the person standing over him, who was holding a syringe with a strange liquid inside. He watched silently as the person's hand came down and the needle pierced his arm, sending a burning chill through his body. He twisted in pain. It hurt so much..._

_Then, the pain stopped. Instead of burning, it felt like water; cool, fresh water. His eyelids started to feel heavy, but he was still aware of what was going on. He could feel his heartbeat pulsing his ears._

_And then... it stopped._

_He could hear his faint breath, but soon it stopped, too._

_Then, his eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep._

* * *

Richard remembered. He tried to sit up, but the top of the box was taped shut from the outside.

He then heard noises coming from outside.

"...package?"

"Maybe Sinead ordered something."

"I don't know..."

Richard spoke up. "Oy! If you two would mind, I'd like to get out of here, please!"

He heard a gasp, and what sounded like "yeep!" Then the sound of a pocket knife slicing through tape. The lid opened, and Richard blinked.

Amy and Dan. He grinned and tried to sit up, but everything started swimming and swirling.

Then, Richard passed out.


End file.
